Breastfeeding Moms Head to Washington DC for Great Nurse-In

The Great Nurse-In will be held on August 4, 2012, 9:00am-4:00pm, on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. It will feature events and activities that support and empower current and future nursing mothers, and that educate and engage non-nursing community members.

Head out a day before the event for an “action day” on Friday, August 3, 2012, where GreatNurse-In attendees will contact their Congressional delegates to encourage support of stronger breastfeeding laws and policies that include enforcement provisions. While there are laws allowing public breastfeeding, the majority of those laws are unenforceable and many are restrictive. Additionally, without public awareness and education of these laws, the nursing mother continually has to defend her right to breastfeed in public and to pump in the workplace.

TheGreat Nurse-In has garnered national media attention, including coverage in the Washington Post and the Huffington Post. They expect upwards of 1,000 attendees from across the United States.

2 Responses to Breastfeeding Moms Head to Washington DC for Great Nurse-In

I don’t think it’s a good idea to demonstrate in Washington in August when Congress is NOT in session. An effective demonstration is combined with meetings with an individual’s Congressional Representatives to advocate for some proposed action, such as the BF Promotion Act or other. Encouraging a lot of women to come to DC without this important component risks disillusioning the participants. What is the purpose of this march and how will the organizers ensure that there will be significant publicity? Without significant publicity, and an appeal to our representatives, I fear that this will be an exercise in futility. We need a national strategic plan for grassroots breastfeeding advocacy, not random, unrelated events that may or may not be effective.

Peggy, thank you for sharing your thoughts. I am the lead organizer for the Great Nurse-In. The purpose of the event is to normalize nursing by promoting public breastfeeding. Therefore, we are taking a two-pronged approach – a family fun event and an action day, both aimed at supporting and empowering current and future nursing women and educating and engaging non-nursers. Saturday, August 4, we’ll meet on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol where ALL supporters (current and future nursing mamas, dads, kids, friends) are welcome to enjoy music, speakers and other activities, all while treating breastfeeding as the normal and natural act that it is. Additionally, we will be holding an “Action Day” on Friday, August 3, where we will facilitate meetings for attendees to speak with their Congressional delegates’ offices and provide literature to solicit support for improved breastfeeding laws and policies. We will also deliver signed letters for those who are unable to travel to DC this summer. While Congress is not in session in August, we felt this date was important because it coincides with World Breastfeeding Week. It is also summer vacation, making it easier for families to travel. No, we won’t change the laws in one weekend, but we aim to lay the groundwork for future discussions and action in Congress. I have been and will be honest about what a lengthy process legislative change is because I agree that we don’t want supporters to be disheartened. We have garnered national media attention already, including the Washington Post and the Huffington Post, and have invited local and national news outlets to the event. As far as a cohesive, strategic plan goes, I couldn’t agree more. We welcome any and all like-minded organizations and individuals to join us this year, and would love to work with groups for even larger, more widespread activities moving forward. Please feel free to contact me at greatnursein@gmail.com to talk more and visit http://www.greatnursein.com for event information. And thank you for all you do for breastfeeding mothers through mothering.com. – Rachel